After the Arabic conquest of the Berbers, many of the surviving Berbers intermarried with the Arabs. The land the Moors
originally came from was called al-Andalus and included the entire Iberian peninsula except for the extreme north west, where
in the 12th century, christian reconquest would begin. During their time, the Moors captured Mauritania (modern day Algeria
and Morroco).
The first Moorish attack on Spain was in 711, and was led by Tarik Ibn Ziyad, and contained 10,000 men. Together, they
crossed the straits and landed on what is now named Djabal Tarik (Tarik's Mountain). He won the ensuing battle against the
europeans, and is said to rouse his troops with:
"My brethren, the enemy is before you, the sea is behind; whither would ye fly? Follow your general; I am resolved
either to lose my life or to trample on the prostrate king of the Romans."
Within a month, european dominance over the Iberian Peninsula had all but ceased to exist, thanks to Tarik and his seemingly
tireless cavalry.
The Moors Fought an almost endless war against Spain throughout that period of history. Probably because of land disputes
and religion issues. Possibly because of pride or following past examples.
